Merrill Lynch
and Sesame Workshop

Merrill Lynch was founded on the idea that the world is full of opportunity, and the firm’s philanthropic efforts focus on increasing opportunities for underserved children and youth. With clients, employees, and offices in 40 countries, Merrill Lynch has both a global commitment to philanthropy and a deep appreciation for education as a tool to improve the world. To help spread that message, especially to children, Merrill Lynch launched its multimillion dollar Young Ambassadors initiative in 2005. The campaign cultivates the next generation of global ambassadors and world leaders, while promoting innovative approaches to global education for young people. The initiative also taps Merrill Lynch’s volunteer efforts. Leading organizations and educators lend their expertise to the program. Educational resources are available free of charge at http://volunteer.ml.com.

As part of this effort, Merrill Lynch worked with Sesame Workshop to create Panwapa, where children gain awareness of the wider world, learn to take responsibility for their own behavior, become active in building local and global communities, and become responsive to economic disparity. Panwapa aims to foster the foundation for global citizenship and community activism in four- to seven-year-olds. With a presence around the world and a long history of capturing children’s hearts and minds, Sesame Workshop is Merrill Lynch’s ideal partner to equip children of all backgrounds with the tools to shape and lead a better world.